Please sign in to your FIFA.com user account below. This will allow you to make the most of your account with personalization, plus get access to commenting tools, exclusive games, the chance to win cool football prizes and much, much more.

The FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 was declared an overwhelming success, with the first-rate football on the field matched by a colourful carnival atmosphere off it.

Now market research has confirmed the impression that fans attending matches relished the experience, and that it has increased enthusiasm and determination to join the party at next year’s FIFA World Cup™.

A spectator experience study conducted by Nielsen, the official marketing research provider of the Confederations Cup and World Cup, found that 98 per cent of spectators enjoyed their experience at Russia 2017. Having attended, 91 per cent said that they would now like to apply for tickets to the World Cup.

The survey covered more than 10,000 spectators, with questions about the experience before and during the tournament, and their impressions afterwards. Of those interviewed, more than 90 per cent were Russian, with the remaining being international spectators.

For the former group, experiencing a FIFA tournament was the principle motivation for nearly half (48 per cent) of supporters attending matches.

Among international fans, the main motivation for travelling to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 was the desire to support their national team (36 per cent). A further 20 per cent wanted to visit Russia and learn more about its culture, while 17 per cent attended the tournament because they wanted to experience a FIFA tournament.

Well over half of the fans from overseas (60 per cent) said that the tournament had exceeded their expectations, and 80 per cent said they returned home with a better opinion of Russia. The level of security was also appreciated, with 95 per cent saying they felt safe and secure inside the stadium, and 93 per cent stating likewise about the host cities in general.